"We are not sure how the fire started, it will be investigated, when our crews arrived on scene there was already a 2km fire," Mr Smith explained.

"About 500m every five minutes it was spreading in the bush, and we had it up in the canopies of the trees it was also spotting a couple of hundreds of metres ahead of the main fire, so it's a difficult fire for us to put out."

Earlier, helicopter crews were mapping the fire.

Mr Smith reinforced the warning issued by the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services as of 3pm today, to prepare for an emergency.

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"This fire could spread quite quickly in current conditions conditions tonight aren't predicted to drop off, so it will stay fairly high temperatures, high humidity which is good conditions for fires to burn."

A bushfire has broken out on New Zealand Gulley Rd, Mount Chalmers.Queensland Fire and Emergency Se

Mr Smith advised residents monitor the conditions and if they have a threat of fire or are concerned, ring Tripe Zero (000).

Local landowners, observation aircraft, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft are helping to fight the blaze.

Parks and Wildlife, the Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Police Service were also on scene earlier today.

Nearby residents are urged to act on their bushfire survival plan now.

UPDATE 4.50pm: SIXTEEN fire crews are now working to control the large blaze on New Zealand Gully Road near Mount Chalmers.

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the situation had not changed over the last few hours and the "advice level" was still current for the area south east of Rockhampton.